Electric receptacle and housing therefor



May 3, 1932. J. R. COOK ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE AND HOUSING THEREFOR Original Filed March 21, 1951 INVENTOR V JOHN -R. COOK I 6y sdt ar' ncyr TicrE- Patented May 3, 1932 j i i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 101m n. 0001:. or mrronn, oomc'ricoa', nssronon TO THE meow-mu: a mommy nnncrarc comm, or mrroan, oomc'rxcur, n coaroaamron or v common ELECTRIC BECEPTACLE AND HOUSING THEREFOR Application fled larch 21, 1931, Serial 170. 524,387. Renewed January 28, 1938.

This invention relates to the combination vention will occur as my invention is deof an electrical fitting and a housing, the scribed in connection with the accompanyfitting being of the type having two electrical mg drawings. devices which are mutually insulated and the drawings adapted for connection to separate electrical Fig. 1 is a plan view of an outlet box and 56 stems. Suitable housings include outlet receptacle embodyingmy invention. boxes and wall cases or, as they are some- Fig. 2 is a broken cross section view of times called, switch boxes, and the like. the invention, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. One example of the above type of electri Fig. 3 1s a broken cross section view of cal fitting which is now used is an attachthe outlet box used in the invention. '0

ment plug receptacle having more than one Fig. 4 is a side vipw of an electric receptacle outlet, each outlet being insulated from the used 1n the invention. others so that one may be connected to a ra- F 1g. 5 is a cross section view of a modified dio antenna and ground circuit and another form of the invention.

to a power li and o n, Referring to the drawings a conventional 55 Due to the underwriters requirement it is outlet box base 10 is provided with a cover 12 not permissible to have separate systems in having a raised central portion 14 of oblong the same housing unless the electric appashape, in the upper surface of which portion ratus and conductors of each system are sepais formed an oblong aperture 16. In this rated from one another by a. barrier conaperture 16 a duplex electric receptacle 18 is 70 nected to the box. One way of accomplishsecured by means of screws 19 passing ing this has been to secure a plate to the midthrough the cars 20 of a conventional yoke section of the receptacle, theplate extending 21 used with most modern electric receptain aplane transverse to the receptacle. cles for securing them to their housings.

25 Inthe copending application of Norbert G. One outlet 22 of the receptacle may be con- 75 Haering, filed December 31, 1929, patented nected to a source of electric energy, for ex- 7 October 27th, 1931, Patent No. 1,829,648, is ample 110 volt supply. The other outlet'23 shown and claimed broadly a construction of the receptacle may be connected to the for a purpose similar to the purpose of the aerial and ground of a radio set, for exam 301nvention herein described. The present inple. Each outlet will have a separate pair of 80 vention is an improvement over the Haering wire terminals 24 located preferably at the invention .and insofar as the invention is side of the receptacle, one terminal of each claimed in said patent, I make no claim to pair being located on each side. it here. To separate the box into two compart- It is an object of my invention to provide ments, thus isolating the systems of the two 35 a housing for an electric fitting which fitoutlets, a barrier 26 is united with the cover ting is composed of mutually insulated elec- 12 and occupies a plane transverse thereto at trical devices, the housing being provided the middle portion of the cover. As will be with baflling means adapted to cooperate with clearly seen in Figure 4, the upper part of the fittingin such a manner as to isolate said the barrier is recessed, the recess 27 following an .electrical devices of the fitting in separate in a general way the contour of a' middle seccompartments of the housing when the fittion of a receptacle so that when a receptacle ting is secured therein. is secured to the cover it will fill up the recess. It is an object of this invention to provide Alternatively the barrier may be formed ina housing for a duplex receptacle with baftegrally with the base or formed separate 9;

fling means adapted to cooperate with the from the base and cover and secured to either receptacle in such a manner as to isolate the one by any suitable securing means. two outlets of the receptacle when it is se- As shown in Figure 3, some receptacles cured to the box. have been made heretofore with a transverse- Other ob ects and advantages of my in- 1y extending central barrier 30 secured thereby the two barriers 30, 26 will lie flush against each other. I

As shown in Figure 5, the construction may be modified by omitting barrier 30 and mak- .ing a barrier 26' to fit into the slots 32, thereby effectively isolating one compartment of the box from the other. i This modified construction is shown in Figure 5 as ap lied to a wall or switch box the cover to wiiich isthe conventional face or flush plate (not shown). However, it is within the scope of my invention to apply this modification to an outlet box, in which case the barrier me. be secured in any suitable fashion to eit er the outlet box cover or the base. I

For the purpose of illustration I have shown my invention in connection with an attachment plug receptacle, but the invention is not limited to attachment plug receptacles but 5 may be used in connection with other electrical. fittin which consist of mutually insulated electrical devices of which one may be an attachment plug socket or U receptacle, as desired.

50. tral portion of O viousl many other. variations within the scope oi my invention will occur to'those skilledin the art, therefore I do not limit mvself to the invention. exactly as shown.

1. A duplex receptacle having independent outlets in combination with a housing for said receptacle mprising base and cover members, bafilin means located in the central portion of t e housing in a plane transverse to said receptacle and dividing said housing into. two isolated compartments,

- each containing one outlet of the receptacle,

said means being secured to said housin 2. A duplex receptacle having indepen ent outlets in combination with a housing for py said receptacle comprising base and cover membe baflli e housing in a' planetrans verse to receptacle and dividing housing into}, two isolated compartments,

each containing onebutlet ofthe receptacle, said means-bemg united with one of said housing members.

' 3. Aduplex recep ehavingindependent w outlets in combination' with' a housing for said receptacle comprising base and cover membgrs, bafllm tral portion of. H housi ng'in arplane transverse to said .receptacle-anddividing said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one outletf of the receptacle, said means be ng tosaid cover member.

means located in the cen-' .means locatedi'in-the'cen outlets in combination with a housing for said receptacle comprising baseand cover members, bafllin means located in the central portion of t e housing in a plane transverse to said receptacle and dividing said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one outlet of the receptacle said means being secured to said housingand being offset "from the exact center of said housing. V

6: A duplex receptacle having independent outlets in combination with a housing for said receptacle comprising base and cover members, baffiin means located in the central portion of the housing in aplane transverse to said receptacle and dlviding said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one outlet ofthe receptacle, said 7 means being s'ecuredto said housing andbefrom the exact center of said housing and also being recessed to accommodate and cooperate with the central portion of said receptacle.

7. A duplex receptacle having independent outlets in combination with a housing for said receptacle comprising base and cover members, bafilin means located in the central portion of t e housing ina lane transverse to said receptacle and dividmg said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one outlet of the receptacle, said means being secured to said housing and having a recess in its upper dportion with a contour like that of the mi dle section of a receptacle, whereby the receptacle may occusaid recess when the receptacle is secured to the housing.

' 8. A duplex receptacle having independent outlets in combination with a housing for said receptacle comprising base and cover "members, baflling means located in the central portion of the housing in a plane trans-.

verse to said receptacle and dividing said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one outlet of the receptacle, said means being secured to said housing, and said means having a recess with a contour like that of a transverse section of said 'receptacle whereby the receptacle may occupy and completely fill said recess when the receptacle is secured inposition.

9. A duplex receptacle having independent outlets and transverse slots in the opposite sides of said receptacle, in combination with a housing Comprising base and cover members, baflling means secured to said. housing and located in the central portion thereof in a plane transverse to said receptacle and dividing said housing into two isolated compartments each containing one outlet of the receptacle, said bafliing means having edges engaging in said slots.

10. A duplex receptacle having independent outlets and transverse slots in the opposite sides of said receptacle, in combination with a housing comprising base and cover members, bafiling means secured to said housing and located in the central portion thereof in a plane transverse to said receptacle and dividing said housing into two isolated compartments each containing one outlet of the receptacle, said bafiling means having a recess whose contour is similar to that of a transversesection of said receptacle, the edges of said recess fitting in said slots.

11. A duplex receptacle having independent outlets and a transversely extending plate secured to the central portion thereof, in combination with a housing comprising base and cover members, baflling means se-- cured to said housing and locatedin the central portion thereof in a plane transverse to said receptacle and dividing said housing into two isolatedcompartments each containing one .outlet of the receptacle. said baflling (means having avrecess for said receptacle,

said plate and baflling means lying adjacent to one another.

12. An electric fitting comprising an insulating body having a plurality of mutually insulated electrical devices mounted therein and adapted to be connected to different electrical systems, in combination with a housingfor said fittingcompri'sing base and cover members, bafiling meanslocated in the central portion of theliousing in a transverse plane and dividing said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one of said devices, said means being secured to said housing. 1 p

13. An electric fitting comprising an insulating body havingaplurality of mutually insulated electrical devices mounted therein and adapted to be connected 'to different electrical systems, in combination with a hous-- ing for said fitting comprising base and cover members, bafiling means located in the central portion of said housing inv a transverse plane dividing said housing into two isolated compartments, .each containing one device, said means being secured to the housing and bein recessed to accommodate and cooperate with the central portion of the fitting. Y

14. An electrical fitting comprising an insulating body having mutually insulated electrical devices mounted therein, said body having transverse slots in the opposite sides thereof, in combination with a housing comprising base and cover members, bafllm means secured to said housing and locate in the central portion thereof in a transverse plane dividing said housing into two isolated compartments, each containing one device, said baflling means engaging in sald slots.

.In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN R. COOK. 

